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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council - 02/16/2016 APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE CITY COUNCIL MEETING TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2016 7:00 PM, CITY CENTER Council Chamber 8080 Mitchell Road CITY COUNCIL: Mayor Nancy Tyra-Lukens, Council Members Brad Aho, Sherry Butcher Wickstrom, Ron Case, and Kathy Nelson CITY STAFF: City Manager Rick Getschow, Public Works Director Robert Ellis, Community Development Director Janet Jeremiah, Parks and Recreation Director Jay Lotthammer, City Attorney Ric Rosow, and Council Recorder Jan Curielli I. CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER Mayor Tyra-Lukens called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM. All Council Members were present. II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE III. OPEN PODIUM INVITATION IV. PROCLAMATIONS/PRESENTATIONS A. LIONS CLUB DONATION FOR STARING LAKE OUTDOOR CENTER (Resolution No. 2016-30) Lotthammer said this is a contribution of$500 from the Lions Club for additional pre-school furnishings at the Outdoor Center. MOTION: Case moved, seconded by Nelson, to adopt Resolution No. 2016-30 accepting the donation in the amount of$500 from the Eden Prairie Lions Club for the purchase of preschool furnishings for the Staring Lake Outdoor Center. Motion carried 5-0. B. 20-40-15 RECAP Tyra-Lukens said the Council received a recap of the successful completion of the 20-40-15 program at the workshop earlier this evening. Paul Schlueter, Fleet Services Manager, said he and Paul Sticha were here tonight to give an overview of the 20/40/15 program. CITY COUNCIL MINUTES February 16, 2016 Page 2 Schlueter acknowledged the work of Cliff Cracauer, retired Public Works Superintendent, who he said laid the groundwork for the facilities portion of the 20-40-15 program. Schlueter gave a PowerPoint presentation of the Fleet Services portion of the program. He said the initial goal was to achieve a 40% improvement in the energy consumption for the fleet over the ten years of the program. He reported that goal was exceeded with a final increase in fuel efficiency of 44.4%. The increase in fuel efficiency meant a savings estimated at over 304,000 gallons of fuel. Specific strategies used to attain the increase in efficiency included reducing the size of the fleet by 20 vehicles and replacing six vehicles with electric hybrids. He said going forward they plan to right size the fleet for performance and fuel economy, to add additional electric hybrid vehicles, and to continue to review alternative/renewable fuel options and resources. Paul Sticha, Facilities Manager, gave a PowerPoint presentation on the Facilities portion of the program. He said their goal was to have a 20% improvement in energy efficiency for City buildings by 2015. They met and exceeded that goal with a 21.8% improvement, in energy efficiency, which represented a reduction of $267,500 in annual costs. He said the Facilities projects were done in five phases and included the following: more efficient lighting with the installation of LEDs; replacement of older HVAC equipment with more efficient systems; installation of solar panels at the Community Center; installation of additional insulation when City buildings were reroofed; and installation of more efficient equipment at the Community Center during the conversion of Rink 2 to ammonia refrigerant. They plan to continue to upgrade to more efficient energy equipment and lighting, to reroof the Den Road liquor store and to replace aging HVAC units with more efficient units. Tyra-Lukens recalled the 20-40-15 goals were considered to be a stretch when we developed the plans in 2006, and it is amazing that we actually exceeded the goals set for the program. She said all Eden Prairie residents owe a big thank you to those who implemented this program that resulted in saving us a lot of money. V. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND OTHER ITEMS OF BUSINESS Aho added Item XIV.A.1. MOTION: Butcher Wickstrom moved, seconded by Aho, to approve the agenda as amended. Motion carried 5-0. VI. MINUTES A. COUNCIL WORKSHOP HELD TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016 MOTION: Butcher Wickstrom moved, seconded by Aho, to approve the minutes of the Council workshop held Tuesday, February 2, 2016, as published. Motion carried 4-0-1, with Nelson abstaining. B. CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016 CITY COUNCIL MINUTES February 16, 2016 Page 3 MOTION: Aho moved, seconded by Butcher Wickstrom, to approve the minutes of the City Council meeting held Tuesday, February 2, 2016, as published. Motion carried 5-0. VII. REPORTS OF ADVISORY BOARDS & COMMISSIONS VIII. CONSENT CALENDAR A. APPROVE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH SRF CONSULTING GROUP FOR PRELIMINARY DESIGN SERVICES FOR THE PRESERVE BOULEVARD IMPROVEMENT PROJECT B. APPROVE RELEASE OF AGREEMENTS REGARDING SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS (CITY WEST) C. ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 2016-31 AUTHORIZING ADMINISTRATIVE RELEASE OF SPECIAL ASSESSMENT AGREEMENTS D. APPROVE GRANT AGREEMENT WITH METROPOLITAN COUNCIL TO PROVIDE TASKS ASSOCIATED WITH MONITORING AND MAINTAINING THE RILEY CREEK WATERSHED OUTLET MONITORING PROGRAM STATION E. AWARD CONTRACT TO ST. CROIX RECREATION FOR PHEASANT WOODS PLAY EQUIPMENT F. AWARD CONTRACT TO NORTHLAND RECREATION FOR HIDDEN PONDS PLAY EQUIPMENT G. AWARD CONTRACT FOR REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT OF THE ROOF AND ROOFTOP AIR HANDLING UNITS AT THE DEN ROAD BUILDING TO CENTRAL ROOFING H. ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 2016-32 REQUESTING LIMITED USE PERMIT FOR TRAIL CONSTRUCTION ON MNDOT PROPERTY I. ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 2016-33 DESIGNATING OFFICIAL COMMUNITY FESTIVALS J. ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 2016-34 SUPPORTING THE CITY'S PARTICIPATION IN THE OPEN TO BUSINESS PROGRAM MOTION: Case moved, seconded by Nelson, to approve Items A-J on the Consent Calendar. Motion carried 5-0. Regarding Item VIII.A, Case said he has received many comments over the years about the need for another lane on this portion of Preserve Boulevard, and this item will make that happen. CITY COUNCIL MINUTES February 16, 2016 Page 4 IX. PUBLIC HEARINGS/MEETINGS A. VACATION OF DRAINAGE & UTILITY EASEMENTS OVER LOT 1, BLOCK 2,AUGUSTA ADDITION—KAL POINT (Resolution No. 2016-35) Getschow noted the City Council approved the Kal Point project at a recent meeting. This item is for the vacation of drainage and utility easements that were dedicated as part of the previous plat. The property owners have requested the vacation of the easements to accommodate their new building and plan to dedicate all new easements with the new project. The release of these easements is contingent upon the recording of the new easements. There were no comments from the audience. MOTION: Case moved, seconded by Butcher Wickstrom, to close the public hearing, and to adopt Resolution No. 2016-35 vacating the public drainage and utility easements lying over, under and across Lot 1, Block 2, Augusta Addition, Hennepin County, Minnesota. Motion carried 5-0. B. SHADY OAK EXPANSION by Nordick Group, Inc. Request for Planned Unit Development Concept Review on 6.78 acres; Planned Unit Development District Review with waivers on 6.78 acres; Zoning District Amendment within the I-2 Zoning District on 6.78 acres and Site Plan Review on 6.78 acres. Location: 6775 Shady Oak Road. (Resolution No. 2016-36 for PUD Concept Review; Ordinance for PUD District Review with waivers and Zoning District Amendment) Getschow said the proposed plan is for a one-story 30,400 square feet warehouse building addition. The existing 58,200 square foot office/warehouse structure was constructed in 1982. The exterior materials were compliant with City Code at that time. Sometime after construction of the existing building, the City Code was amended to revise the exterior material requirements making the existing structure a non-conforming use. The applicant has designed the new addition to significantly exceed the required 75% primary exterior building materials. The proposed addition includes the use of required exterior building materials at 95.2% to bring the overall building closer to compliance. The existing building is proposed to be painted to match the addition. The parking requirements will be met through existing parking stalls and proposed proof of parking. The plan includes a bicycle rack located in the southwest corner of the site by the office entrance. The proposed landscaping will screen the existing loading facilities and the proposed loading facilities from Shady Oak Road. The Planning Commission voted 6-0 to recommend approval of the project at the January 25, 2016 meeting. Paul Schroeder, Westwood Professionals, said his clients, Nordick and Midland Garage Door, want to move their distribution facility from Chaska. He noted Nordick manufactures garage doors in the Fargo area. This property is currently leased to a tenant who will be moving out this year. Nordick wants to be in full operation from the Shady Oak location in 2017 and is looking to expand the CITY COUNCIL MINUTES February 16, 2016 Page 5 building to incorporate more storage space. As part of their application, they are asking for waivers pertaining to the exterior building materials. They plan to include additional exterior details on the new building to partially compensate for the nonconformance of the existing building, to paint the existing building a similar color as the new building, and to add landscaping along the east side and more screening to buffer the loading dock. The existing parking lot has a very steep slope that doesn't meet code requirements. They are asking for a PUD waiver for that parking to remain. While they understand they need to provide additional proof of parking, they do not need any more parking than is already there. Tyra-Lukens commented it looks like a big improvement, and she appreciated the efforts they are making to improve the building and to enhance the landscaping. There were no comments from the audience. MOTION: Butcher Wickstrom moved, seconded by Case, to close the public hearing; to adopt Resolution No. 2016-36 for Planned Unit Development Concept Review on 6.78 acres; to approve 1st reading of the ordinance for Planned Unit Development District review with waivers, and Zoning District amendment within the Industrial Park (I-2) Zoning District on 6.78 acres; and to direct staff to prepare a development agreement incorporating staff and commission recommendations and Council conditions. Motion carried 5-0. X. PAYMENT OF CLAIMS MOTION: Aho moved, seconded by Case, to approve the payment of claims as submitted. Motion was approved on a roll call vote, with Aho, Butcher Wickstrom, Case, Nelson and Tyra-Lukens voting "aye." XI. ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS XII. PETITIONS, REQUESTS AND COMMUNICATIONS XIII. APPOINTMENTS XIV. REPORTS A. REPORTS OF COUNCIL MEMBERS 1. Update on I-494 Corridor Commission Aho said he has served on the I-494 Corridor Commission and chaired the organization for some time now, and he wanted to give a PowerPoint update on the commission. He said the Corridor Commission is made up of five cities: Eden Prairie, Edina, Bloomington, Richfield and Minnetonka. As part of their mission, they advocate for transit improvements along the I-494 corridor in the southwest metro area. The commission has a 2016 budget of$472,000, $303,000 of which comes CITY COUNCIL MINUTES February 16, 2016 Page 6 from the Federal government through a Congestion, Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) grant. In addition, a portion of the remainder comes from the State of Minnesota along with local contributions from residents of the five cities at the rate of 300 per resident per year. The local contribution will be increased to 320 this year. He said one of the budgeting issues is that the CMAQ requirements were changed so that the full amount of the grant cannot be used for administrative costs. The commission has received funds from the State to make up the difference. Aho said the commission works as a Transit Management Organization (TMO) to coordinate alternative methods of commuting with companies along the I-494 corridor. The 895 companies currently participating receive free employer resources. The commission provides individualized commute assistance such as ride matching, transit information, and other assistance. The commission works with many Eden Prairie companies, including the Optum Campus, the Golden Triangle Technical Center, Mammoth-WEBCO, Supervalu and Starkey. He reviewed a summary of the commission's accomplishments during the past year. The current legislative positions of the commission include promoting funding to replace that lost as a result of the CMAQ changes and funding for the I-494/35W interchange project, which is a large component of transit in the southwest metro area. He invited Council Members and others to attend a meeting with local legislators at the Bloomington City Hall on February 26 from 7:45 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. There will be a tour of the orange bus line after the meeting. Tyra-Lukens thanked Council Member Aho for his years of work and leadership on this commission. She asked if commission staff members who help residents with commuting are also promoting the Suburb to Suburb bus service. Aho replied they are working with Southwest Transit to help promote that service because the commission has connections to many of the businesses involved that Southwest Transit does not have. 2. Snowplowing—Mayor Tyra-Lukens Tyra-Lukens said she wanted to thank the Public Works staff and the Planning staff for the great job of plowing this year. She read an excerpt from a letter she received from a resident complimenting the City crews for the excellent job of keeping the streets free of snow. B. REPORT OF CITY MANAGER 1. Resolution No. 2016-37 Endorsing "Pollinator-Safe" Policies and Procedures Getschow said at the last meeting of 2015 Council Members brought up the concept of having staff research policies and procedures that would establish CITY COUNCIL MINUTES February 16, 2016 Page 7 our City practices as pollinator friendly. That followed an earlier discussion regarding problems that occur with the use of neonicotinoids. Staff was able to lay out several different areas where we, as a city,have been pollinator friendly but also to make a statement that we do not want to use many of the products that are not pollinator friendly. The proposed resolution endorses pollinator safe policies and procedures and is recommended by both the Parks & Recreation Commission and the Conservation Commission. Getschow said the resolution will provide goals for city practices that include: • Emphasize biological controls over pesticides in public places, including parks and right-of-ways • Limit use of systemic pesticides to the extent practicable, with an emphasis on avoiding use of pesticides in the neonicotinoid family • Purchase and plant vegetation favorable to pollinators • Identify actively maintained areas that could be converted back to native habitats that include pollinator friendly plant species • Provide spaces that could be managed to educate the public about pollinator-friendly practices • Encourage private developers to incorporate pollinator-safe plantings into required landscaping. • Maintain a list of plant species that are pollinator-friendly • Designate a public space to research and implement organic and regenerative practices. Getschow said staff will look at some of the comments made by the Conservation Commission and those received tonight during Open Podium. Staff will be reviewing City code concerning plantings this summer. He noted Leslie Stovring, Environmental Coordinator, drafted the resolution. Case said he was pleased with every one of the bullet points included in the resolution. He noted since the 1990's Mayor Tyra-Lukens, Council Member Butcher Wickstrom and he have argued for more natural areas in the City. He posed the question of whether we are getting close to an attitude shift where we look at what we have to mow rather than looking at what we can let go wild. It is important to preserve more of our prairie in Eden Prairie. He suggested Item 6 may mean continuing to look at our code and determining what the terms "wild" or"natural" mean. He urged staff to move forward on Items 4 and 6. Getschow said there will be some higher profile areas, such as at the four fire stations, the water treatment plant, and the well houses, where we intend to incorporate a lot of natural plantings and where we can incorporate the educational pieces as well. He noted it takes time to move toward a more prairie setting. CITY COUNCIL MINUTES February 16, 2016 Page 8 Nelson asked what items we would be getting rid of and what she might do with her lawn. Getschow said almost every item included in the resolution applies only to our own City operations. Private property is addressed only with the education pieces. This is not an ordinance that regulates private use of property. Nelson asked if we will encourage lawn maintenance people to consider using pollinator friendly materials. Getschow replied we will do that. Nelson suggested we have a user friendly link on our website that provides information on such products with a list of which materials to avoid and which materials to use. Getschow said they plan to get out as much information as possible to educate people. Nelson suggested we start seeding around the well houses and other areas in the City with attractive pollinator friendly plantings rather than just letting those areas grow wild. Butcher Wickstrom said the resolution can have a big impact on the City and will help the health of the bee population. She could also see the schools getting involved in this. She encouraged the use of educational indicators to help explain the plantings. She noted it will be exciting to work with our open spaces and some of our partners. MOTION: Case moved, seconded by Butcher Wickstrom, to adopt Resolution No. 2016-37 endorsing"pollinator-safe" policies and procedures. Motion carried 5-0. Tyra-Lukens thanked the advocates and City commissions that took the time to make sure this is done right. C. REPORT OF THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR D. REPORT OF PARKS AND RECREATION DIRECTOR E. REPORT OF PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR F. REPORT OF POLICE CHIEF G. REPORT OF FIRE CHIEF H. REPORT OF CITY ATTORNEY XV. OTHER BUSINESS XVI. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Butcher Wickstrom moved, seconded by Case, to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried 5-0. Mayor Tyra-Lukens adjourned the meeting at 8:00 PM.